Street-railway track



'Patented Apr. Il, |899. l H. P. BERCK. STREET RAILWAY TRACK.

(Application led Feb. A18, 1899.)

(Nu Model.)

MWI

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STREET-RAILWAY TRACK.

lSP1-WIFI()ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,988, dated April 11, 1899.

Application iiled February 18,1899. Serial No. 705,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. BERCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street-Railway Tracks, which consists in providing a system of turnout-blocks to be placed at suitable intervals along the rail, of which the following is a speciiication.

In nearly all street-railway tracks now in use, owing to the structural form of the rail used with broad tread for vehicles other than cars to run upon, it makes it very difficult for a vehicle to get out of or onto the tracks without damage to the wheels, and it is well known that in this city alone thousands of dollars are spent annually in repairing vehicles broken by the street-railway tracks, and the delay to the public in transit is very annoying and expensive; and the object of my improvement is to remove this source of expensive inconvenience and make it easy for a vehicle to drive oft or onto a track without danger. I attain this object by a mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal side View of the inside block. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal outside Fig. 3 is avertical Fig. 4 is a view of the outside block. cross-section showing all parts. longitudinal top View.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The block 2 for the inside of the rail is made about three feet long, of cast-iron or any durable material. The inner surface isformed to fit the inside of the rail, the top part 2 overlapping the vertical tread 4 and extending toward the car-tread l, leaving a space or groove 8 one inch wide for the flange of car-Wheel to pass between. Beginning at the eXtreme ends the block is arched or curved upward toward the middle, where it should be one inch above the wagon-tread 4 or slightly below the crown of car-tread. The under part of the block is carried under the wagon-tread 4 to the trunk of the rail and down to the base 9, where it rests. A brace 3 is provided at each end, eX-

tending from the outer edge of the block downward to thebase. A bolt 10 is placed in the center, passing through the block and wagon-tread 4. The outside block 5 is made in a similar manner and the same length as the inner block, having a curved top, the ends of curve starting a little below the surface of pavement and rising to the top of rail. Its inner surface'is shaped to tit the form of rail and rest on the base 9 It is also provided with braces 3 at each end, resting on the railbase 9. Four or more bolts 7 are fitted transversely through all parts, binding them together.

When these blocks are placed at the railj oints,they take the place of fish-plates. They may be placed at intervals along the rail. I prefer to place them about three hundred feet apart.

Dee'p ruts are often formed between the Y rail and the pavement on either side, and it is hard to prevent the formation of these ruts by settin g paving-blocks against the rail, because the paving-blocks have no support from the rail, and by the application of this turnout-block it will be observed that they extend beyond the line of-the pavement 6 and over the joint between them, thus enabling the wheel to be lifted out of the rut and onto the track, thus escaping the ruts.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. In a street-railway track, the combination of the inner turnout-block, having a longitudinal curved upper surface, a iiat under surface, adapted to overlap horizontally and rest on the wagon-tread of a street-railway rail; the inner surface of the inside of said block adapted to fit under said wagontread, the lower edge resting longitudinally on said rail-base; said block provided with a brace at each end and apertures for transverse bolts; said turnout-block being constructed in one piece; substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a street-railway track of the outer turnout-block having a longitudinally-curved upper surface,the outer edge projecting transversely into a pavement, the inner side `of said block conforming to the shape of the outer side of a street-railway rail; the lower edge of said lblock resting longitudinally on the base of said rail; said block IOO provided with a brace at each end and apertures for transverse bolts; said block constructed in one piece; substantially 'as set forth.

3. In L street-railway track, the combinat-ion of the outer and inner mrnouG-bloeks with a street-railway rail, said blocks being Xed vvertically to said rail by transverse bolts and one or.. more vertical Centrally-10- cated bolts; substantially as described.

' HENRY P. BERCK. Vitnesses:

M L. VON NATTA, H. E. EVANS. 

